1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tools. More specifically, the present invention relates to containers for holding drill bits and the like.
While the present invention is described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments for particular applications, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the teachings provided herein will recognize additional modifications, applications, and embodiments within the scope thereof and additional fields in which the present invention would be of significant utility.
2. Description of the Related Art
Certain applications require a large number of tools that are difficult to maintain in a secure yet orderly arrangement due to the small size thereof. Dentistry is one example, circuit board manufacture is another. In the manufacture of circuit boards, a number of holes are drilled in each board to facilitate the alignment and mounting thereof on a chassis or frame. The number of holes may vary from 10 to several hundred. Generally, these bits are very expensive, small (on the order of 1/8th of an inch in diameter) and made of a high strength material (e.g., carbide).
As the bits generally wear or break after a number of holes have been drilled, it is important to keep an adequate supply of bits on hand. Several tool boxes have been developed over the years to retain such drill bits when the bits are not being used. One such box includes an array of apertures sized to retain the bits in an upright position. A layer of foam was placed over the bits to hold them in place. Unfortunately, the bits often became stuck in the foam and were inadvertently extracted whenever the foam was lifted to remove a single bit. This caused a number of bits to become displaced and, in some cases, led to bits being dropped, broken and/or lost.
A second approach replaced the foam with a plastic retainer having a matching array of apertures for holding the bits in place. However, this design was found to be bulky and awkward to reassemble.
A third approach involved the use of an array of apertures which held the bits by supporting an identifying ring disposed on the bit. Ribs under the cover of the container pressed on the rings or the taper of the bits and thereby held the bits in place. Unfortunately, since this approach required a `top hold-down`, it required a number of parts and was therefore expensive and bulky.
The top hold-down approach was used in various configurations all of which suffered from the cost, complexity and bulkiness associated with a top hold-down structure.
Thus, a need remains in the art for a simple, inexpensive yet effective receptacle for drill bits and other tools that retains the tools in a secure and orderly fashion.